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Two acquittals and a mistrial in the Whitmer kidnap case

Mugshot-style portraits of Caserta, Croft, Fox and Harris.
AP
/
Kent County Sheriff Delaware Dep
Top row from left, Brandon Caserta and Barry Croft; bottom row from left, Adam Dean Fox and Daniel Harris. The four members of anti-government groups were tried on federal charges accusing them in a plot to abduct Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Caserta and Harris were acquitted April 8 by a jury that deadlocked on charges for the other two men.

The trial ended Friday.

(WDET) A jury has acquitted two men of all charges in the alleged plot to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer. Brandon Caserta and Daniel Harris were free to go after the verdict was announced.

Two others – Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr – the alleged ringleaders of the plot – will remain in custody. A jury deadlocked on their charges and Judge Robert Jonker declared a mistrial.

Outside the Federal courthouse in Grand Rapids, in video posted by The Detroit News, Prosecutor Andrew Birge said he was disappointed.

“Obviously we're disappointed with the outcome. We thought we had a jury to convict on the evidence we put forward, but we still believe in the jury system,” he said.

Birge added that Fox and Croft will be re-tried.

The defense argued the plot was just “tough talk”.

Members of the group made bombs and cased the Governor’s residence.